Each year, Bristow Community Connection plans and coordinates a community Christmas gifting for the residents of Rainbow Health Care and Assisted Living communities. Fundraising and planning begin in August each year, and this year’s fundraising efforts will be underway soon.
Community group organizers and members choose the Christmas love gifting specifically for Rainbow residents as Christmas gives most of us a reason to celebrate life. Christmas reminds us of those things we most value and cherish: new beginnings, hope, family, joy, love, relationships, peace, generosity, kindness, compassion, and connection. Many Rainbow residents feel lonely and forgotten, isolated, helpless, and sometimes hopeless. Christmas without family gatherings in a home filled with loved ones, laughter, children and grandchildren squealing in delight, and the aroma of a bountiful, delicious meal can be especially heartbreaking for residents of senior living facilities. For those reasons, the group intentionally chooses Christmas to unite, combining talents and resources to show residents they are valued and loved.
Last year, generous community members came together to love Rainbow residents in spite of the obstacles the pandemic created. Despite the misery, sickness, and isolation of a pandemic-ravaged 2020, love reigned. Ensuring that each resident received love and support at Christmas, generous Bristow community members provided seventyfive gifts to Rainbow. Each resident received personal care and comfort items including fleece scarves, stocking hats, gloves, fun socks, thermal socks, full-size bottles of body wash and lotion, chapstick, treat bags, Christmas mints, and cards from community members of all ages and abilities. Additionally, each resident received an incredibly special gift: a fleece blanket made by Marshall McRae, an especially compassionate, generous ten-year-old child.
Previously, Marshall had started his own business to save money for college. Being an incredibly selfless and generous child, he used his own profits to purchase all materials necessary to make the blankets. He then measured, cut, and sewed each blanket himself, adding a pocket for goodies and filling it with goodies before gifting them. Marshall even went an extra step, using unique material designs for the blankets and adding verses or sayings on each pocket to ensure that no two blankets looked alike to prevent residents from losing theirs.
With Christmas soon approaching, Bristow Community Connection hopes that the community is able to provide a tremendous love gifting again this year. As fundraising efforts and planning activities begin, organizers ask that you please consider if and how you, your family, your business, or your organization might be willing to contribute a little loving reminder that you value our elders and have not forgotten them. or more information, to donate, or to ask any questions, follow efforts and updates on the group’s Facebook page, “Bristow Community Connection,” message group admins, or email organizers at BristowCommunityConnection@gmail.com.